The behaviour of water molecules associated with structural changes in negatively charged phosphatidyl-glycerol assemblies as studied by DSC

Variation of the thermotropic behaviour of both lipid assemblies and associated water molecules with an increase in water content was investigated for negatively charged phosphatidyl-glycerol (PG)-water system up to 90 wt.% water by DSC. The number of water molecules existing in interbilayer regions of the present gel phase was estimated from a deconvolution analysis of ice-melting DSC curves. On the basis of a result of the calorimetric analysis, a water-distribution diagram was constructed over the water content range from 0 to 90 wt.%. The diagram presented a continuous incorporation of interlamellar water up to 90 wt.% water, related to unilamellar-vesicle forming properties of charged lipids. Furthermore, similarly to a result for neutral lipid systems previously reported by us, the present diagram also showed the existence of a specific water content region (i.e., pre-region) where a structural change of planar to curved bilayers for multilamellar structures proceeds with the aid of bulk-like water before finally reaching unilamellar vesicles.     

Identification of collagen-based materials that are supports of cultural and historical objects

The TG, DTG, DTA methods were used for investigation of the thermal degradation in static air atmosphere of some collagen-based materials (some sorts of collagen, recent manufactured parchments and tanned leathers, patrimonial (historical) leathers). At the progressive heating, all investigated materials exhibit two main successive processes, associated with the dehydration and thermo-oxidative degradation. The patrimonial leathers were divided in two groups, namely: a group containing the majority of the analyzed materials, for which the rates of the thermo-oxidation process are substantially lower than those corresponding to the recent manufactured leathers, and a group for which the rates of thermo-oxidation process are closed to those corresponding to the recent manufactured leathers. Consequently, if by the thermal analysis in air atmosphere of a leather sample, a value of the rate of the thermo-oxidation process smaller than that corresponding to the recent manufactured leathers is obtained, then the analyzed leather is a patrimonial one. The reciprocal statement of this qualitative criterion for distinction between recent manufactured leather and patrimonial leather is not valid. The DSC analyses of collagen-based materials were performed in air (DSC(air)) and in water (DSC(water)). The denaturation process takes place at lower temperatures in water than in air. Unlike recent manufactured leathers and parchments, each patrimonial leather exhibits on DSC(water) plot 2-4 peaks. Consequently, the number of peaks from DSC(water) curve could be another qualitative criterion for distinction between a recently manufactured leather and a patrimonial leather. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Fibrous membranes electrospinning from acrylonitrile-based polymers: specific absorption behaviors and states of water

Fibrous membranes with a fiber diameter ranging from 80 to 800 nm are prepared from polyacrylonitrile and poly[acrylonitrile-co-(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)] by the electrospinning process. The parameters can be controlled to fabricate fibrous membranes with similar fiber diameters (between 600 and 800 nm) for further studies on the swelling behaviors and water states. Water swelling experiments indicate that the fibrous membrane has a great capacity for water sorption, which reaches a maximum in a few minutes because of its extremely high porosity. Furthermore, a remarkable overshoot occurs as a result of polymer chain relaxation and the non-compact structure of the fibrous membranes. Contrary to the dense membrane, the equilibrium water content in the fibrous membrane decreases with the content of hydrophilic NVP though the maximum is almost the same. Results from DSC experiments demonstrate that only non-freezable bound water and free water can be distinguished in the fibrous membrane. On the basis of the results of water swelling and DSC experiments, it is concluded that the specific behaviors of the fibrous membranes are induced by the non-compact and pore-fiber discontinuous structure, which is different from either dense membranes or hydrogels. [GRAPHS: SEE TEXT] DSC curves of fully swollen electrospun fibrous membranes and of fully swollen dense membranes with different NVP contents.     

Hydration and drying of various polysaccharides studied using DSC

The hydration of cellulose, chitosan, schizophyllan, hyaluronan, and carboxymethyl cellulose was studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In the first part, the classical freezing/thawing approach was used to determine the amount of non-freezing water. The inconsistency in enthalpies obtained during crystallization and melting of freezable water was discussed with respect to the DSC experimental conditions. Our interpretation questions the recent conclusions about competitive processes occurring during melting which are hypothesized to influence the determined melting enthalpy. In the second part, the hydration and drying were studied using the evaporation enthalpy of water. The dry mass normalized dependency of vaporization enthalpy on water content confirmed an abrupt break at low water content in hyaluronan sample which was attributed to the sudden appearance of a parallel process taking part during the drying. The rest of polysaccharide samples showed only a linear decrease in evaporation enthalpy. The renormalization of enthalpies by the water content revealed the increase in evaporation enthalpy with decreasing water content in most samples which was ascribed to the strong interaction between polysaccharide and water. The exceptions were carboxymethyl cellulose which showed a decrease in evaporation enthalpy. This indicates the existence of a simultaneous process occurring during drying, but unlike in hyaluronan, the processes do not appear abruptly but accompany the evaporation in the wide concentration range. Comparison of determined hydration numbers showed that part of non-freezing water in hyaluronan is not bound to sorption sites but occurs presumably in small temporary pores. In contrast, water-soluble schizophyllan forms temporary pores as well but presumably with higher dimension and the non-freezing water is formed mostly by water molecules interacting with sorption sites.     

Determination of differences in free and bound water contents of beef muscle by DSC under various freezing conditions

The differences in bound water content of beef semimembranous muscle samples obtained from previously chilled (24 h at +4°C) middle-aged beef carcasses were determined by the use of DSC. Initially, samples obtained from fresh, unprocessed meat were frozen at –40, –50 or –65°C to determine their melting peaks for freezable water (free water) content with the use of DSC. The samples were then subjected to an environment with an ambient temperature of –30, –35, –40 or –45°C, with no air circulation, or with an air circulation speed of 2 m s^–1, until a thermal core temperature of –18°C was attained; this was followed by thawing the samples until a thermal core temperature of 0°C was reached. This process was followed by subjecting the samples to the ambient temperatures mentioned above, to accomplish complete freezing and thawing of the samples, with DSC, and thereby determination of the freezable water contents, which were then used to determine the peaks of melting. The calculated peak areas were divided by the latent heat of melting for pure water, to determine the freezable water contents of the samples. The percentage freezable water content of each sample was determined by dividing its freezable water content by its total water content; and the bound water content of each sample was determined by subtracting the percentage free water content from the total. In view of the fact that the free water content of a sample is completely in the frozen phase at temperatures of –40°C and below, the calculations of free and bound water contents of the samples were based on the averages of values obtained at three different temperatures.     

Analysis of swelling process of protein by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry

The change in the nanoscopic structure and bound state of water in the protein gel were investigated using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Gelatin was used as a protein. To examine the bound state of water in gelatin gel, the amount of freezing and nonfreezing water in gelatin gels were evaluated by fusion enthalpy of DSC curves. Below water content of 40% (w/w), the whole amount of water was nonfreezing water, whereas above water content of 40% (w/w), the amount of freezing water increased according to increase in water content. To investigate the nanoscopic spatial structure under coexistence of polymer and water, positron annihilation lifetime measurement was performed. The lifetime of o‐Ps or the pore size increased according to increase in water content, particularly below the water content of 40% (w/w). When the water penetrates into the gelatin network, the water molecules form hydrogen bonds with hydrophilic groups inside the helical structure in gelatin gel. The water molecules inside the helical structure expand the structure outward, leading to increase in pore size. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 2031–2037, 2007.     

热分析技术研究疏水缔合微区对含氟丙烯酸酯共聚物凝胶中水状态的影响

丙烯酸 (AA)与不同含量的 2 (N 乙基全氟辛烷基磺酰胺 )乙基甲基丙烯酸酯 (FMA)在叔丁醇中进行自由基共聚 ,合成了一系列疏水改性共聚物凝胶 .用示差扫描量热法 (DSC) ,热失重分析 (TGA)研究了含氟疏水改性凝胶中水的状态 ,证明FMA改性凝胶中存在 3种状态的水 ,即不可冻结水 ,可冻结结合水和自由水 .对于未改性凝胶和FMA含量为 1mol%的疏水改性凝胶 ,在凝胶中水含量分别低于 0 60 9mol%和 0 698mol%时 ,DSC升温曲线上观察不到熔融峰 ,说明凝胶中存在不可冻结水 .提出计算凝胶中 3种状态的水含量和熔融焓的理论假设 .计算出FMA含量为 1mol%的疏水改性凝胶中自由水和可冻结结合水的摩尔熔融焓分别为75 89 0 3和 6864 0 6J mol.计算结果表明疏水改性后 ,单位聚合物单元上结合的可冻结水数目 (n1 )和非冻结水的数目 (n0 )都增加     

High resolution heat flow DSC: Application to study of phase transitions,and pore size distribution in saturated porous materials

Suitable container design permits very high temperature and differential temperature resolution in DSC even when relatively large (? 0.14 cm³) samples are used; and thus energy signals associated with phase change occurring over large temperature intervals may be analysed in differential elements. An original and powerful high resolution low temperature DSC technique (the authorsψ plot”) for studying and comparing pore size distributions (PSD) in water saturated samples (for pores having Kelvin radii between 1,2 and about 500 nm) is given, together with an application which shows that the PSD in a water saturated organic ion exchanger could be obtained from analysis of three Gaussian distributions which precisely generate a curve which is an excellent empirical fit to the recorded low temperature exotherm obtained by freezing pure water within the sample.     

A DSC Study of Thermal Transitions of Apple Systems at Several Water Contents

The dependence of phase transitions in apple systems at several different water contents has been studied by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The pre-cooled samples with high water fractions show a small but distinct thermal effect at low temperature before the final melting of the ice. The samples with low water content show a second order type transition, characterised by a temperature which increases with decreasing water content. The temperature/composition behaviour is reported in the form of the so-called 'supplemented' state diagram, including the solid/liquid coexistence boundaries and the extrapolated glass transition curve. This diagram contributes towards understanding the transformations encountered during the temperature process of partially dried samples of apple. An interpretation is presented about the existence of phase-segregated regions, which could give the observed thermal effects at low temperatures. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The mechanism and stability of thermal transitions in hair keratin

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) has been applied to study the interactions between components of human hair keratin. Keratin is a biopolymeric composite made of several proteins forming basically two phases: amorphous matrix and crystalline microfibrillar phase. Water, the content of which depends on atmospheric humidity, is also an integral part of keratin structure. The following processes are apparent from the DSC: removal of loosely bound water (ca. 70°C), a transition in the amorphous phase (155°C) and melting/denaturation of the -crystalline phase (233°C). The process occurring in keratin at ca. 155°C has an opposite character to a glass transition; we refer to this process as the toughening transition. The area of the -keratin peak increases significantly upon annealing at temperatures from 80°C to 150°C and decreases for higher annealing temperatures. Water affects both the crystalline and amorphous phases of keratin. The process similar in nature to annealing — induced recrystallization in synthetic polymers is strictly correlated with removal of strongly bound fraction of water in keratin.     

β-Aluminas and water

TG, DSC and X-ray measurements were made to characterize the water absorption process by Li (50%) — Na (50%)β-alumina. The equilibrium water content, dehydration enthalpies and lattice parameter values have been determined and compared with those previously obtained for pure Li and Naβ-aluminas. The mixedβ-alumina is shown to be very similar to Liβ-alumina as concerns the dehydration enthalpy and the temperature range in which the dehydration occurs, while it seems to be very similar to Naβ-alumina with respect to the equilibrium water content andc-axis values.     

Thermal analysis of water and magnesium hydroxide content in commercial pharmaceutical suspensions milk of magnesia

A standard protocol was developed to determine the water content by thermal analysis of milk of magnesia (MoM). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG) were used in a novel manner for examining the physical characteristics of the commercial pharmaceutical suspensions. Moisture analyzer and oven-dry methods validate the proposed protocol. MoM consists primarily of water and magnesium hydroxide [Mg(OH)₂]. Experimental design of the thermal analysis parameters were considered including sample size, flowing atmosphere, sample pan, and heating rate for both DSC and TG. The results established the optimum conditions for minimizing heat and mass transfer effect. Sample sizes used were: (5?C15?mg) for DSC and (30?C50?mg) for TG. DSC analysis used crimped crucibles with a pinhole, which allowed maximum resolution and gave well-defined mass (water) loss. TG analysis used a heating rate of 10?°C/min^?1 in an atmosphere of nitrogen. The heat of crystallization, heat of fusion, and heat of vaporization of unbound water are 334, 334, and 2,257?Jg^?1, respectively (Mitra et al. Proc NATAS Annu Conf Therm Anal Appl 30:203?C208, 2002). The DSC average water content of (MoM) was 80?wt% for name brand and 89.5?wt% for generic brand, based on the relative crystallization, melting and vaporization heats/Jg^?1 of distilled water in the recently purchased (2011) MoM samples. The TG showed a two-step process, losing water at 80?C135?°C for unbound water and bound water (MgO·H₂O) at 376?C404?°C, yielding a total average water loss of 91.9?% for name brand and 90.7?% for generic brand by mass. The difference between the high-temperature TG and the lower-temperature DSC can be attributed for the decomposition of magnesium hydroxide or MgO·H₂O. Therefore in performing this new approach to water analysis by heating to a high temperature decomposed the magnesium hydroxide residue. It was determined that the TG method was the most accurate for determining bound and unbound water.     

Differential scanning calorimetric examination of the tracheal cartilage after primary reconstruction with continuos sutures: A preliminary study

Acquired upper airway stenosis is usually associated with a complex of pathological conditions at the high tracheal and the subglottic levels. Reported reconstructive techniques include widening of the airways by incorporation of grafts, segmental resection, and anastomosis or combined procedures. Progress in anaesthesia, surgical techniques, and understanding of the pathophysiology of the trachea has made primary tracheal reconstruction a safe operative procedure, although there are no reports observing its acute effect on the tracheal cartilage. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a well-established method for the demonstration of thermal consequences of local and global conformational changes in biological systems, including hyaline cartilage, but it has never been applied for the investigation of tracheal cartilage. According to the present study, the thermograms may prove the presence of structural changes of the cartilage after primary reconstruction in the short-term follow up (smaller melting temperature and calorimetric enthalpy in the operated dog). The differences were clearly demonstrated between the intact cartilages and the ones involved in the anastomosis.     

非冻结水对微球复合水凝胶机械性能的影响

本文旨在用DSC的方法研究水凝胶结合水的能力与韧性的关系。 分别以甲基丙烯酸丁酯(BMA)或甲基丙烯酸六氟丁酯(HFBMA)和烯丙基胺为单体,制备了2种核壳纳米微球(BMA微球和HFBMA微球)。 再以其作为大分子引发剂和交联剂,制备了微球交联复合水凝胶(BMA-H凝胶和HFBMA-H凝胶)。 通过差示扫描量热仪(DSC)、傅里叶变换红外光谱仪(FTIR)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)等技术手段研究凝胶的结构和性能。 结果表明,HFBMA-H凝胶具有更好的机械性能,其拉伸强度和断裂伸长率分别可达280 kPa和3960%,远高于BMA-H凝胶(101 kPa,2700%)。 通过对2种复合凝胶体系内不同状态的水进行分析,发现HFBMA-H凝胶的非冻结水的质量分数明显高于BMA-H凝胶,这种非冻结水的增塑作用对于凝胶机械强度的提升具有重要影响。     

Comparison of Differently Bound Molecules in the Gel and Subgel Phases of a Phospholipid Bilayer System

The thermal behavior associated with the melting of ice was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for the gel and L-subgel phases of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC)-water system of varying water contents up to a full hydration. By calorimetric analysis previously developed by us, the numbers of differently bound water molecules were estimated, and used to construct water distribution diagrams (i.e., a plot of the cumulative numbers of these water molecules vs. water content) for the two phases. A comparison of the diagrams revealed the critical role of interlamellar water which changes from freezable to non-freezable one in a conversion of the gel to the L-subgel phase by the thermal annealing. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Starch Gelatinization Kinetics in Bread Dough. DSC investigations on 'simulated' baking processes

Starch gelatinization in wheat flour dough of various moisture contents was quantitatively evaluated by means of DSC. The experimental records were worked out in the form of excess heat capacity vs. T traces which were deconvoluted to single out the contribution of starch gelatinization from that of the decomposition of amylose-lipid complexes. The quantitative procedure used put into evidence that a third endothermic process would take place in the dough with a poor moisture content. DSC runs carried out with sealed pans (i.e., at constant moisture level) and open pans (from which some water was free to evaporate) allow simulation of two extreme conditions of a real baking process, namely that relevant to the central core and to superficial layer of a dough loaf, respectively. The extent of starch gelatinization occurred in these conditions was quantitatively assessed. These data were collected at various heating rates and used to define temperature-time-transformation(TTT) diagrams which are useful tools to predict the progress of baking for any given thermal history of the system. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

卵磷脂/正丙醇/肉豆蔻酸异丙酯/水微乳体系的相结构研究

以卵磷脂为表面活性剂,正丙醇为助表面活性剂,肉豆蔻酸异丙酯(IPM)为油相,配制成W/O型微乳。并通过浊点法、电导法、动态光散射法(DLS)以及差示扫描量热法(DSC)研究了微乳相结构随含水量的变化。对于选定配比微乳,浊点法在含水量超过10.71%时变浑浊;电导率在含水量达到3.85%之前增长缓慢,之后快速增大,含水量超过10.71%时电导率下降;DLS显示微乳粒径随含水量先减小后增大,其转折点在5.66%,而含水量超过10.71%后粒径突增3个数量级;DSC曲线在含水量超过3.85%后出现水的结晶峰,且随含水量的增大峰位往高温方向平移,同时峰面积增大。当含水量达到11.5%时出现两水峰叠加。研究表明含水量在3.85%~5.66%范围内属于W/O向双连续相转变的过程,而含水量10.71%则是体系发生相分离的临界点。     

Greatly enhanced hydrolytic degradation ability of poly(L-lactide) achieved by adding poly(ethylene glycol)

Plasticized poly(L-lactide)(PLLA) materials have been applied in many fields and the microstructure performance of such materials attracts much attention of researchers. However, few reports declared the hydrolytic degradation ability of the plasticized PLLA materials. In this article, a small quantity of poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG) was introduced into PLLA, which aimed to understand the hydrolytic degradation behavior of the plasticized PLLA materials. The microstructures of the plasticized samples were comparatively investigated using scanning electron microscopy(SEM), wide angle X-ray diffraction(WAXD), differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and Flourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), etc. The results demonstrated that PEG improved the hydrophilicity of sample surface, and the relatively high content of PEG enhanced the crystallization ability of PLLA matrix. The hydrolytic degradation measurement was carried out at 60 ℃ in an alkaline solution of pH = 12. The results demonstrated that the plasticized PLLA samples exhibited accelerated hydrolytic degradation compared with the pure PLLA sample, and the hydrolytic degradation was also dependent on the PEG content. Further results demonstrated that PEG induced the change of hydrolytic degradation mechanism possibly due to the good dissolution ability of PEG in water, which provided more paths for the penetration of water. Furthermore, the microstructure evolution of the plasticized PLLA during the hydrolytic degradation process was also investigated, and the results demonstrated the occurrence of PLLA crystallization, which was possibly contributed to the decreased hydrolytic degradation rate observed at relatively long hydrolytic degradation time. This work is of great significance and may open a new way for promoting the reclamation of PLLA waste material.     

Locust Bean Gum Hydrogels Formed by Freezing and Thawing

Locust bean gum (LBG) hydrogels were prepared by freezing and thawing. It was found that the junction zone of LBG hydrogels is tightly formed by repeating freezing and thawing. During this process, LBG molecules not connected with the junction zone are excluded from the gel portion and the remaining molecules gradually form densely packed hydrogels. Molecular conformation in the sol state affects the rate of the junction formation. Obtained LBG hydrogels are thermally stable and no gel-sol transition was observed in temperatures from 40 to 100 °C by the observation of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Non-freezing water content calculated from the DSC melting peak of water in the gel indicates that the junction zone became dense with increasing freezing and thawing.     

Thermal properties and mixing state of diol-water mixtures studied by calorimetry, large-angle X-ray scattering, and NMR relaxation

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) has been performed on aqueous mixtures of three diols, which involve a linear carbon chain, HO-(CH 2) n -OH ( n = 3, 4, and 5), over the whole mole fraction range of diols. The DSC results have shown the alkyl chain parity for the freezing process of the aqueous mixtures: aqueous mixtures of 1,3-propanediol (PrD) and 1,5-pentanediol (PeD) are kept in the supercooled state or vitrified over a wide mole fraction range, while those of 1,4-butanediol (BuD) are easily crystallized. The structure of PrD-water mixtures has been elucidated by using the large-angle X-ray scattering (LAXS) technique. It has been suggested that the structural change of PrD-water mixtures occurs at PrD mole fractions of x PrD = 0.4 and 0.8: in the range of x PrD < or = 0.4 where the tetrahedral-like structure of water predominates, in the range of 0.4 < x PrD < 0.8 where both PrD and water structures coexist, and in the range of x PrD > or = 0.8 where the inherent structure of PrD is mainly formed. (17)O and (1)H NMR relaxation measurements have been made on aqueous mixtures of ethylene glycol (EG, n = 2), PrD, and BuD to clarify the dynamics of H 2 (17)O and diol molecules. The (17)O NMR relaxation rates have suggested that the rotational motion of water molecules is gradually retarded in the diol-water mixtures with increasing diol content and that the restriction of the motion is more remarkable in the order of EG < PrD < BuD. On the basis of all the results, together with comparison with those of methanol-water, ethanol-water, and 1-propanol-water mixtures previously reported, the mixing state of diol-water mixtures has been discussed at the molecular level.